The Green Bay Packers are not new to the trade market. Aaron Rodgers and Davante Adams were traded away in consecutive off-seasons. These trades marked the start of a new era for the Packers. That era experienced significant success in 2023, which has sparked optimism throughout Packers Nation.
However, one of the Packers’ main adversaries is having little success in the trade market. In fact, they are having difficulty finding anyone ready to offer them what they believe they deserve.
According to Kevin Harrish of The Comeback, the Green Bay Packers’ rivals, the Chicago Bears, have suffered a severe trade market blow.
All signs point to the Chicago Bears exchanging former starting quarterback Justin Fields for a rookie quarterback with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. However, it does not appear that the trade will be as simple, quick, or profitable as they had thought.
According to NFL insider Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Chicago Bears spent the last week attempting to determine the trade value of Justin Fields, but the market was “soft” and “it was hard to find strong interest from any team.”
Harrish continued:
“As for their incumbent quarterback, Bears executives want to make a decision on Fields’ future before the NFL’s free agency window starts on March 13. That’s what they want, but it’s not guaranteed to happen,” Russini wrote for The Athletic.
“The organization spent the most of the week gauging interest across the league to determine his worth. The Bears may need to see movement in the veteran quarterback market, which includes Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield, before meaningful talks about Fields can begin.
Though I predict strong demand for Fields, given that teams such as the Raiders, Broncos, Steelers, and Falcons are all looking for a quarterback, his market appears to be soft for the time being. There was little enthusiasm from any of the teams. One NFC general manager described the issue with the current timing: “When people know you are getting rid of something, they do not pay as much for it.”
Obviously, this is bad news for the Bears, who were hoping to make a trade soon and obtain a good package in exchange for Fields, and the NFL world had a lot to say about it on social media.
The Chicago Bears are once again facing a quarterback controversy.
The Chicago Bears have until May to exercise Fields’ fifth-year option under his rookie contract. Regardless, the Bears are likely to make a decision on Fields’ future before the May deadline. Ryan Poles, the Bears’ general manager, said that “no one wants to live in the gray area” with Fields.
It is commonly assumed that the Bears will keep the top overall choice in this year’s draft. Assuming the Bears remain at No. 1, they will most likely draft a quarterback. How will this effect Fields’ future?
According to USA TODAY Sports, the Atlanta Falcons, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Las Vegas Raiders have all expressed interest in Fields. However, no one has offered an offer that Chicago considers acceptable.
Chicago’s hunt for a franchise quarterback is still ongoing, and the level of uncertainty surrounding what they’ll do this offseason shows the team’s persistent troubles at the most essential position in football.
